St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-20
MANDAN rs MENACED.
The Mad Waters of the Muddy Missouri
Flow Through the Streets Of the
Little City,
And a Binding Storm Prevents Bismarck
People From Knowing the Extent
of Damage.
The Yellowstone Flood Expected to
Add Considerable to the Waste
of Water To-day.
Some Narrow Escapes From d Drown
ing, but no Loss of Life SO Far
Reported.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
BISMARCK, Oak, March 19.-This
morning. several persons having volunteered
to row across the flooded bottom lands TO
rescue persons known to be on timber
claims three or four miles south, applica
ton was made at the steamboat ways for
the loan of a yawl. The person in charge
required cash security of $3.50 for the re-
turn of the yawl. Otherwise the party
would have got away by O'clock. The
delay of returning to town and procuring
security was quite important, as about noon
a snow storm set i'll, accompanied by a
northwest gale, which still continues. The
reScuing party consisted of Thomas Cos
tello, Charles Pathoff, Aaron Cheatham,
Thomas White. A. HaineS, DR.. Franklin
and Charles Lewis. The two first named
went at o'clock in a small row boat. and
were followed by the others in a yawl
about 10 o'clock. Before they had reached
the timber the blizzard had set in. and fears
for their safety agitated the whole town.
About noon anxious watchers saw the Skitf
returning and Costello and Pothoff soon
landed with Michael Feller, better known
as Dutch Nike and Thomas Whitley,
whom they found on the
ROOF OF A SHACK
at the edge of the timber, where they had
been for twenty-four hours. They had
suffered some from cold and more from fear,
being all the time in great danger, and were
desperately hungry ard dry. The roof the
shack fell in when they were being helped
off. The party in the yawl went on
through the flooded timber to nearly OPP
posite Fort Lincoln, where they found on a
piece of dry land in that vicinity. only
about sixteen feet square, 81. Mccarthy
and wife and G. A. Beal. With these
they returned about o'clock this afternoon.
The exploit of these volunteers is wonder
full. The current over the bottom lands is
very rapid. In returning the reScuers had
to contend most or the way with the cur
rent, and always with fierce winds and
binding snow, and were in danger from
occasional
MASSES OF ICE
which they could not see until close upon
them. From the time they lost sight of
timber, for two miles and half, they
steered their boats by the flow of the cur
rent, knowing they had to contend with it
most of the way. The wind was blowing
forty to fifty miles an hour and snow filled
the air, and they dritted before the wind,
making the passage as uncomfortable as it
was dangerous. Rumor says dispatch
has been received in town from Fort Lincoln
by way of Cheyenne and st. Paul, stating
that people were seen from there in the op-
poste lowlands on hay stacks and trees sur
rounded by water where they could
not be reached from the fort. there
being no boats there. 1t is hoped these are
the same unfortunates who were rescued by
the yawl from this place, hut there may be
others caught there who are not settlers.
All the known settlers on the bottoms are
accounted for and safe. 1t is reported
that
WOMAN WAS ALONE
i'm cabin in the overhowed part of Painted
Wood thirty miles north, but a boat has
been sent to her rescue. The report that
Supt Graham was drowned is not believed
here. He was at Mandan yesterday MORN
ing, and started to come East over the
bridge an hour too late. The track was
deeply overfowed west of the
bridge. and his train went back
to Mandan. The damage to the
bridge trestle came from below, by
being crowded back out of the channel on
an overflowed sand bed across which the
trestle is built. The treSte is we'll pro.
tected from above and the filling in which
was begun last season will by the next flood
secure it against danger either way. Some
further damage was done the trestle last
night, and repairs can't be made until the
floods have gone. \ large force of men
was employed in the forenoon strengthen
ing
THE RIVER DEFENCES
of the roadway west of the treStle with
sand bags. Since noon the storm has pre-
vented any observation OF what is going on
in Mandan, which before was possible by
the use of field and spy glasses. Apple
Greek valley south and east of this city is
flooded in some places a mule and
half wide. Agent Davidson had the
freight all removed from the transfer
house in anticipation of the flood. No fur
ther damage is feared at the levee. At this
writing the water is still about twenty
inches short Of the high water mark of
1881. Gorges are holding back some ice
above. but water flows around the gorges
through the timbered bottoms The Yel-
lowstone flood will probably reach here to-
morrow night and add one to three feet OF
water and good deal of ice to our present
supply. Ice gorges at and around Sibly
island fill the main and lateral channels fol
over five miles.
II D. m.-The storm continues and the
streets and sidewalks are blocked by snow
drifts. The flood moves silently.